Bride of the Wind

Meet Alma Mahler, the muse of several prominent European artists of the nineteeth and twentieth centuries, and an overlooked composer herself. Starring Sarah Wynter, Jonathon Pryce, Vincent Perez

Author Rating:

3.5 Stars

The inspiration behind Bruce Beresford's film, Bride of the Wind, and the historic figures depicted is art.

With art as the film's arc, the visual project undertaken by Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, 1989) is an appropriate homage to the music of Gustav Mahler; the paintings of Oscar Kokoschka; the architecture of Walter Gropius; and the words of Franz Werfel.

The thread binding these men together and weaving the film's story is Alma Mahler. Mrs. Mahler was perhaps the most infamous and influential wife of the last two centuries. The film follows her relationships to each of the artists, taking a unique perspective from the stance of the woman rather than the man.

As a opposed to glorifying the artistic genius of each man, Beresford and the writer, Marilyn Levy, amplify the shadow cast over Alma's own brilliance by the fame of each of her lovers. This unique perspective is only heightened by the performances of Sarah Wynter, Jonathon Pryce, and Vincent Perez. Each actor affects a striking and complex interpretation of the characters. They truly seem to embody the larger-than-life people they play.

In the end, the story of Bride of the Wind is enough to make it a great film. Add in the beauty of Vienna and the talent of the cast, and the film world has another classic on its hands.